Lobbying the EU

How vulnerable are the EU institutions to undue corporate influence, and what gaps exist in EU lobbying and ethics rules?

Lobby transparency

Lobby register too toothless to be effective

17.05.2016

The response to two complaints about broken rules and dodgy data in the lobby register confirms the current system is toothless, argues CEO.

EU institutions

Commission CON-sultations

02.05.2016

Problems with public consultations, and how “Better Regulation” will make them worse.

Expert groups

Fate of Commission advisory groups in the hands of Frans Timmermans

20.04.2016

It's make or break for the European Commission's advisory groups, known formally as Expert Groups. First Vice President Frans Timmermans, the man in charge of transparency, plans to bring out new horizontal rules to make the groups more balanced and more accountable in a matter of weeks, but will he listen to the concerns of the public?

Conflicts of interest

The disputed Commissioner: Cañete involved in new controversies

31.03.2016

Less than 18 months into the job, Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete is immersed in several scandals.

Revolving doors

Revolving doors round-up

17.03.2016

CEO reviews recent developments in the Commission's approach to the revolving door.

Expert groups

Public interest groups demand consultation on weak new rules for EU advisory groups

23.02.2016

A coalition of civil society groups working on lobbying transparency and ethics regulations have called on European Commission Vice President, Frans Timmermans, to wait until the European Parliament and the public have had a chance to comment before introducing new rules on advisory groups, formally known as Expert Groups

Covert lobbying

At the coalface of unregistered lobbying

16.02.2016

A Corporate Europe Observatory complaint to the lobby register secretariat is challenging the Commission to properly implement its own lobby transparency rules.

Lobby transparency

The EP Water Group

04.02.2016

CEO turns the spotlight on another of the interest groups operating within the European Parliament.

Transport

Scandal-hit car industry in the driving seat for new emissions regulations

29.01.2016

In the wake of Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal, Corporate Europe Observatory has obtained documents that show how the car industry has continued to undermine Europe’s proposed new emissions test standards.

EU institutions

The “clear and united voice of experts”?

09.12.2015

Comments on the European Commission's new Scientific Advice Mechanism by Corporate Europe Observatory and the Fondation Sciences Citoyennes

Single market

Team Juncker: still in bed with big business

02.12.2015

On 3 December, BusinessEurope will hold a seven hour corporate lobby conclave in the European Commission headquarters in what is a clear and worrying sign that “Team Juncker” is very much in bed with big business!